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Wednesday, 6 June 2012

Armchair BEA, Day 3: I Don't Know What I'm Doing...

So, here's the description of what I'm supposed to write for today's topic, and yes I realise that most of you will have read it already so just bear with me for a minute, mmmkay? So this is it:Share a positive 'real life' experience with books- either by way of your own partnerships in your community, a book signing you went to or possibly even a get together with fellow book bloggers.
Erm... Let's see. Well, I don't have a book club or anything, and I don't, I don't know, get kids to read, I've never been to a book signing (do YOU see Stephen King doing many book signings in the UK? Neither do I...) and don't even talk to me about meeting fellow book bloggers because WAH, we are separated by a whole ocean and hence I am a sad sad blogger. Although I will meet them one day, and it will be MAGNIFICENT.

So. I'm a bit stumped really. I can offer you a tale of woe about how I nearly went to see Jeffrey Eugenides speak about stuff in London one time, but it was on the same night as a Red Hot Chili Peppers show I already had tickets to and so I couldn't go (which, I can't really complain about because OMFG RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS! But I'm still sad that it just had to be the same evening) but actually that's basically the whole story there. Soooo... yeah. *crickets, tumbleweed etc*.

Here's the thing, you see. Apart from reading and buying books, I don't really do anything in real life that's about books or reading. I'm too busy actually reading, and anyway, no authors that are good really do book signings in the UK. Or, at least, I don't know about them if they do. So I'm just going to have to share a fairly boring teeny anecdote that, if nothing else, made me super happy and is to do with books. Aaaaand, I can't see this post being super popular, but OH WELL.

So, a few weeks ago I was just generally going around the charity shops in one of the many roads paved with charity shop gold near me (seriously: without breaking a sweat I can go to at least 3 places that have 6 charity shops, and everywhere else has at least 3 or so... it's amazing. And also why I have a chronically large number of books) and I honestly nearly had a heart attack of joy. So here's what happened. I saw that they had a copy of 1Q84 Part 3, which in itself was really exciting because, whilst I had already read the whole thing, I had to get Part 3 from the library and, you know, you gots to own that kind of amazingness. So that was pretty cool.

But then. THEN! I looked down and nearly had a heart attack of pure JOY (that's a thing, right?) because on another shelf there were many, many Murakami books. MANY. How many? Well, this many, plus a copy of Norwegian Wood that I let them keep because I already have one of those:

Seriously? Like, the best book haul ever. And the best things? That they basically cost £5 all together, AND the shop assistant said that they'd only come in the day before. And I was basically like 'I WIN AT LIFE', and was gleeful for the rest of the day!

So that's my tale. And it's not at all a networking tale, but it's a heartwarming one, I reckon, with a moral that, if you just wish for it hard enough, one day you'll find all the books you need at a price you can afford. And if it's still not a good enough tale for you, then consider that I've given a LOT of money to charity buying books over the years, and also saved myself a lot at the same time. Pretty magical, huh?

So tell me, gentlefolk- have you ever seen a haul like it? Or better, have you ever found one yourself? If you have, believe me, I'm jumping up and down and squealing a bit with you. Book love forever.

31 comments:

I remember finding such hauls twice. One was 12 books of 13 hardcover series of Lemony Snicket's Unfortunate Events, all in very nice condition. And once I've also found Bloomsburry hardcover editions of Harry Potter books 4 and 5, both first editions, which were at the very top of my WL back then. Only I had a very small bag with me as I didn't intend to go shopping books:) So I had to lug them around with me in a bulging handbag all day:)

*JACKPOT AT THE CHARITY SHOP* Oh man, what a fantastic haul! And it looks like a pretty comprehensive set too. I hardly ever see Murakami in the used book stores I frequent, although I did once find a copy of Kafka on the Shore, which I'm dying to read but still haven't. My life revolves around this type of thing lol . . . I'm glad to see I'm not alone ;) happy reading!

As does mine! I've been pretty lucky finding Murakami in charity shops actually- in this same shop I found books 1 and 2 of 1Q84 in really nice condition, AND I found Kafka on the Shore in another one, so yeah, that was good too! But this really was amazing!

No charity shops?! That's so lame! Clearly I'd never be able to live in The Netherlands because, where would I buy books?!

There are... I know there's the Hay-on-Wye festival (which I MUST go to someday) but other than that I don't really know of any others. I should probably investigate this... And yes, I'm definitely going to meet up with others! Someday. When I'm on my US Road Trip that I'm definitely going to do...

That is a HUGE WIN! I love those covers too. I like to hit up the discount shops, but there's always such a huge mess of garbage books, that sometimes it's hard to make myself go through all of it and find the gems. I'm very jealous of your win, but in a good way :)

Aw man, sometimes I can't really be bothered, like especially if they haven't been arranged in alphabetical by author order (although, thankfully, most places do do that) but these were in like their own special Murakami section, practically, cause there were so many of them! It was the bestest day... :)

Oh yeah, I mean it was in no way a choice! It wasn't like 'ooh, should I sell my ticket and see Eugenides instead?' because really, the most important thing about him are his books, and I can read them anytime! But I was still a teeny bit wistful, and now I'm extra sad it was on that day because I would have had a good story to tell for today's post!

Oh yeah, my adoring fans! I'll get on that, do a tour of the country shall I? :) And I think I might just sign off ALL my posts Book Love Forever- it sounds good, huh (I'm totally not going to do that, just so you know... lol)

I'm interested to know when you saw them in the 90s now! Just cause, since I'm like a Red Hot Chili Peppers historian (not really, but I know stuff about them!) and I know that after John left in like 92/93 they weren't really great right up until about 99... so it makes sense that they probably weren't like amazing... I've seen them a few times now, and even though this last time they had a new guitarist (again) they're still freaking AMAZING. Well, at least I think so anyway! :)

Ahh, you mentioned the Murakami grabbage I think. I'd have been thrilled as well! I love charity shops too though - in my town there's about... six maybe, and it's a three minute walk.

But god, don't even talk to me about the lack of author signings! I just know Jasper Fforde is doing a load next month and I keep religiously checking the dates to make 100% sure I don't miss it. I think Cassandra Clare did one in Leeds last week, but I wasn't really interested... *cough*

I kind of don't even know who Cassandra Clare is, so... yeah. I should probably be more like, 'in touch' with what's going down author signing wise, but I'm really not... I live pretty near London so it's absolutely not a problem going there, so, yeah, I should make more of an effort. But, meh. Hehe

Yep, when I don't do something, I don't do it amazingly! (well, there's a sentence that didn't make sense. But it didn't make sense SPECTACULARLY...)

I do know some UK book bloggers! But they live up in the northern parts, and I can't venture up there cause they'd laugh at my accent and stuff... But also I WANT TO HANG OUT WITH YOU AND ALLEY AND MEGS ALL THE TIME FOREVS!

You're going to be so sorry when I read all these Murakamis and they're all quirky and funny and silly and cats talk or whatever other shit he's got going on. You will RUE all kinds of things.

There's quite a lot of author events near me, in Bristol and Bath. Between Waterstones, Toppings, Bath Festival of Literature and the Bristol Festival of Ideas I really have no excuse for only going to one every couple of years.

But your anecdote is more fun than anything I could dredge up from that lot or my book group. I am terrible at anecdotes.

That is a good Murakami horde. Even if I did dislike 1Q84, all the others I have read are fantastic.